


The Project That Started it All

by lostgirl966



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: AOS, Academy Era, Agents of SHIELD, F/M, First Meeting, FitzSimmons - Freeform, Fluff, fs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-23
Updated: 2017-07-23
Packaged: 2018-12-05 18:44:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 947
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11583918
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lostgirl966/pseuds/lostgirl966
Summary: Jemma is paired with her rival at the Shield Academy Leopold Fitz





	The Project That Started it All

Jemma was hastily writing down notes as the professor filled the class in on their next assignment. She didn’t want to miss anything. If she got another perfect score than she would continue to be at the top of the class.

“Now,” the professor said closing his notes. “We’re done for the day. So I’ll be announcing the partner’s for the final project.” The professor then began to go through all the last names of student’s in the class.

Jemma listened intently for her name. She never liked group projects. Usually, whoever she was paired with didn’t do any work at all. But Jemma preferred it that way. That way there would be no mistakes.

“Simmons and Fitz.”

Her heart sank and her head whipped around to the other side of the room where the Scottish boy sat. Oh no, not him, anyone but him. Leopold Fitz was her rival for the top spot in the entire academy. He was the only one there as smart as her.

Fitz looked as displeased by this assignment as she did. At least they were in the same boat. He stood to his feet and shoved his books and papers messily into his pack.

Jemma knew he was going to be making his way to her. She stood as well and pulled her bag over a shoulder.   
Finally, Fitz stood in front of her shifting from foot to foot. He looked extremely nervous and awkward. “Okay,” he sighed. “I can do all the work and we’ll get an easy A.”

Jemma’s eyebrow’s shot up in surprise. “Excuse me? I believe that’ll be the other way around.”

Now it was Fitz’s turn to look looked taken aback. “Look I didn’t want to be your partner for this project but I am. So just let me handle it.”

Jemma rested her forehead in her palm. This was going to be one hell of a project. “How about this? We do equal work. I can meet you tomorrow and we can figure it out.”  
Fitz starred at her for a longtime in deep contemplation. Then he shrugged and gave her a hasty nod. “Tomorrow then.”

Fitz had walked several yards away before Jemma realize they had not agreed upon a time or a place. They had not even exchanged cell phone numbers. “Meet me in the library at nine am?”

He waved a hand in acknowledgement but continued to walk away towards the dinning hall. Fitz clearly didn’t want to make any kind of conversation.

“This is going to 100% suck,” Jemma said to herself before turning to go back to her dorm.

* * *

 

Jemma sat at her usual small square wooden table in the quietest corner of the library. She hoped Fitz would find her. She had not told him where she would be sitting.

It was a quarter after ten when Fitz finally plopped down in the chair across from hers. “You can sure pick an obscure spot,” he grumbled pulling his book from his bag.

“It’ll help us stayed focused.” Jemma was already beginning to feel her irritation levels rising. This boy was so stuck up. “So listen Leopold.”  
Fitz’s face screwed up into a cringe. “Please don’t call me that. I prefer Fitz.”

“Okay Fitz,” sighed Jemma. She was doing her very best to give this Scot the benefit of a doubt. “I’ve drawn up some ideas for the project.”

“So have I,” he said pulling a dozen pieces of paper from between the pages of his book.

“Well let’s compare and see if we can meet in the middle.”

Fitz didn’t seem sure but he nodded anyways. He placed his sketches in the middle of the table so that she could see them as well.

As Jemma’s bright brown eyes scanned over the work Fitz had done her jaw dropped slightly. These were exactly if not better than the quality of her own designs. “These are great,” she said taking one to look more closely at the details of his idea. “Especially this one!”She looked up to see Fitz blushing deeply. Had he never been given a compliment before? “I really mean that,” she assured him.

“Thank you… Uh, we should get working on this. I think I have a good idea about the design you seem to like the most. But I just can’t figure out how to connect these two bits without having them explode whenever we turn it on.”

“Well if we recalibrate how much carbon dioxide is released then we should be able to manage.”

For the next several hours Jemma continued to be surprise by Fitz. He spoke her language like no one ever had before. She could hardly hold back her excitement as they discussed their project.

Fitz seemed excited too. He was actually smiling at her and seemed to be enjoying himself. That was certainly new. When ever she saw him he seemed to be brooding and deep in thought.

Once they were done for the day, the two walked out into the quad in order to go to their different dorms. “Well I’ll see you tomorrow then,” Jemma said giving Fitz a shy wave as she backed down the sidewalk.

“Yeah,” replied Fitz. “But um, Jemma, it’s dinner time and I was wondering if you’d come with me to the cafeteria.”

Was he asking her on a date? She wasn’t sure if she wanted to encourage him in that way. “Oh I umm.”

“You see I’ve been working on some new devices called D.W.A.R.F.s and to be honest I could use a little help.”

Jemma beamed from ear to ear. “Show me what you’ve got!”


End file.
